Samuel Adams LongShot winners announced

Missed in all of the news coming out of Colorado this weekend and the Great American Beer Fest, Samuel Adams named the winners of the annual LongShot American Homebrew Contest.

The winners are Russ Brunner’s American Stout and Cesar Marron’s Gratzer. The employee winner is Teresa Bury’s Pineapple IPA.

The two non-employee winners were chosen by a group of panelists a couple of month ago at a private tasting at the Samuel Adams brewery in Jamaica Plain. The judges were myself, Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch, Bomb Townsend of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tony Forder of Ale Street News, John Holl of “All About Beer,” and beer weriters Christian DeBenedetti and Marty Nachel.

The two winning beers are extremely different.

Russ Brunner’s American Stout was an immediate favorite among most of the judges. It was smooth, chocolaty with nice roasted coffee flavors. It was exactly what an American stout should taste.

Marron’s Gratzer got a lot of debate. Some people, myself included, thought it was phenomenal and a good beer to introduce people to the little-known Polish style of beer, which is slightly smoky and made with wheat. Other judges thought it was too weak, but it still won out, beating some other excellent finalists.

The third beer was chosen this weekend by GABF attendees. I haven’t had a chance to sample it, but I’ve long thought a pineapple IPA could be a beer that could really work if you use the right hops.

The LongShot American Homebrew variety packs will be available in six packs and will be available in the spring of next year. It will include two bottles of each beer.

Norman Miller

Missed in all of the news coming out of Colorado this weekend and the Great American Beer Fest, Samuel Adams named the winners of the annual LongShot American Homebrew Contest.

The winners are Russ Brunner’s American Stout and Cesar Marron’s Gratzer. The employee winner is Teresa Bury’s Pineapple IPA.

The two non-employee winners were chosen by a group of panelists a couple of month ago at a private tasting at the Samuel Adams brewery in Jamaica Plain. The judges were myself, Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch, Bomb Townsend of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tony Forder of Ale Street News, John Holl of “All About Beer,” and beer weriters Christian DeBenedetti and Marty Nachel.

The two winning beers are extremely different.

Russ Brunner’s American Stout was an immediate favorite among most of the judges. It was smooth, chocolaty with nice roasted coffee flavors. It was exactly what an American stout should taste.

Marron’s Gratzer got a lot of debate. Some people, myself included, thought it was phenomenal and a good beer to introduce people to the little-known Polish style of beer, which is slightly smoky and made with wheat. Other judges thought it was too weak, but it still won out, beating some other excellent finalists.

The third beer was chosen this weekend by GABF attendees. I haven’t had a chance to sample it, but I’ve long thought a pineapple IPA could be a beer that could really work if you use the right hops.

The LongShot American Homebrew variety packs will be available in six packs and will be available in the spring of next year. It will include two bottles of each beer.